We have had our kettle for close to 20 years. Hence it is very slow to boil. In fact, it takes 5 min 28 seconds. It made me think how I could use this time to make a difference to my day. Here’s the list of things that can be difficult to squeeze into your day but they are a great use of time instead of grabbing the phone to check Facebook first thing in the morning. You’ll get a lot done in that 38 minutes a week!
1. Empty the dishwasher – I know a number of organised friends that swear by emptying the dishwasher each morning. Once this is done all dirty dishes for the day can go straight in.
2. Speed clean – choose a different area of the house each day, you’ll be amazed how much you get done – read more about speed cleaning here.
3. Write a must-do list – check your calendar for the day and write down 3 things you must get done today.
4. Dinner prep – Check your meal plan and get meat out of the freezer or prepare the veggies for dinner.
5. School forms – Dig down in the bottom of the kids’ school bag and then read and complete the kids’ permission slips for school and return them to school the same day.
6. Hang out a load of washing – When researching for my blog “2 things organised people do before leaving the house in the morning” many organised mum’s said they set the timer on the washing machine for it to finish in the morning so they can hang it out before they go to work.
7. Meditate – Laura Maciuika, EdD, clinical psychologist and author of Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry: Your routine first thing in the morning sets the tone for the entire day. Before breakfast is generally a good time to meditate. But for beginners, especially folks who are feeling stressed out, meditating at all can be daunting. In that case, I recommend simply putting your attention on slower, deeper breathing—even for just five minutes—early in the day before getting busy with anything**.
You can get a lot done in just a few short minutes each day. This adds up to 38 minutes a week, 152 minutes per month using my kettle example – more if you put the kettle on more than once a day.
Do you have something that you do regularly that takes only a few minutes, but makes a big difference to your day? I’d love to hear from you info@spaceandtime.com.au
Need a hand to set up speed cleaning or any of the other routine stuff so that life is easier and more fun? Give me a call 0413 447 562 or book a time with me here.
**https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201203/four-good-times-day-meditate-and-one-avoid